New data from Playtomic shows that padel participation in Britain increased by 125% over 2025, with infrastructure expanding rapidly. The sport's growth reflects sustained player engagement and widening awareness. London leads as the largest market, followed by other major cities.
Data from Playtomic, the leading padel booking app with an estimated 80% market share in the UK, reveals significant growth in padel participation throughout 2025. The number of players booking courts rose from 76,695 in January to 172,564 by December, marking approximately 125% growth for the year.
New player acquisition accelerated, with first-time bookings increasing from 17,196 in January to 37,411 in December, a 117% rise. This influx suggests broadening awareness beyond early adopters. Infrastructure kept pace: active padel clubs on the platform grew from 129 to 288, and courts more than doubled from 529 to 1,130.
Monthly court bookings surged from around 140,000 at the year's start to over 360,000 by December, more than 2.5 times the initial figure. Average player frequency stayed stable at about four sessions per month, indicating consistent engagement rather than fleeting interest.
Padel's social aspect also expanded, with Open Matches—a feature for joining organized games—doubling to around 90,000 per month by late 2025. The UK now ranks as the most social padel nation globally on Playtomic, based on the proportion of such matches to total bookings.
Regionally, London dominates with the highest bookings and players, trailed by Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, and Derby.
Alan Douglas, UK spokesperson for Playtomic, commented: “The pace of growth in the UK over the past 12 months has been exceptional. What stands out is not just the rise in player numbers, but the consistency of engagement. Players are not simply trying padel once, they are building it into their weekly routines. That consistency is a strong signal that the sport is firmly entering the mainstream.”
Pablo Carro, co-founder and CCO of Playtomic, added: “The UK is now one of the most dynamic padel markets globally. When participation, infrastructure and player behaviour all accelerate together, it points to a market with real scale and long-term potential. The UK’s trajectory over the past year places it among the most exciting padel ecosystems worldwide.”